Edwaed weston



(N0 Mqdel.)

' E. WESTON.

ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEM. No. 348,649. Patented Sept. 7, 1886.

Q F r I i, w

WITNESSES lA/VE/VIOR ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVARD \VESTON, OF NE\VARK, NEIV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNITED STATESELECTRIC LIGHTING COMPANY, OF NEIV YORK, N..Y.

ELECTRIC-LIGHTING SYSTEM.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 348,649, datedSeptember 7, 1886,

Serial No. 195.119. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD WEsToN, a subject of the Queenof GreatBritain, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State ofNew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric- Lighting Systems, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the drawing accompanying and forming a part ofthe same.

My invention is contained in and forms a part of the followingsystem:From a dynamoelectric machine provided with a current-regulator acircuit is run, which is divided up 1 into a number of branches orcross-circuits, in each of which are two or more incandescent lamps inseries. Each lamp is provided with a cut-out, or a device which operatesto close a short circuit around the lamp when for any reason the latteris extinguished. In each of the cross-circuits and at some convenientpoint, preferably near the generator, is a current indicator that showsany change in the current flowing through the circuit in which it is in-2 eluded, or any change ofresistance therein, as-

suming a regulator to be used that tends to maintain a constant current.There is also in each branch circuit a variable resistance-- such as aplug rhecstat-,by which the resist- 0 ance of the circuit containing itmay be raised when the indicator shows too much current flowing in it,or conversely. There is, further, an elec-tro-magnet in each branchcircuit that acts upon an armature pivoted to vibrate be- 5 tween twoadjustable contact-points. lVhen the armature comes into contact witheither of these points, it closes a circuit through a second magnet,that trips or releases a re tarded or gradually-operatingcircuit-breaker in the branch circuit, the purpose of this being togradually interrupt the branch circuit when the current becomes eitherabnormally high or abnormally low, the gradual interruption beingeffected by inserting a 4 5 resistance that increases up to a certainpoint before the actual break is made. By this means the regulator onthe generator has time to act and compensate for the variation ofresistance which the interruption of a branch circuit produces, so thatthe remaining branches '50 are not sensibly affected and the current isnot abnormally or injuriously increased.

The means for gradually interrupting a branch circuit under theabove-described conditions, in combination with the devices whose natureand function I have now described, form the subject of my presentinvention.

Referring to the drawing for a detailed description of the invention andthe system to which the same is or may be applied, said 50 drawing beinga diagram of the. system showing one of the branch circuits complete, Adesignate the generator; B, the main circuit, and C one of the branch ormultiple circuits.

Of these circuits I have shown but one, as the 6 arrangement in all isalike. Another branch circuit is partially shown by the wires D D. Thecircuit G contains a given number of incandescent lamps, E E E, aroundeach of which is a closed shunt," F, of high resistance, eon- 7O tainingan electi'o'magnet, G. These magnets havepivoted armatures H, formed toserve as catches, that hold circuit-closing levers I, above which arecontact-stops J, connected by wires K with the circuit C on one side ofeach lamp. A similar connection from the other side of the lamp is madeby wires L, leading to the levers I. If a lamp goes out, the currentthat is directed through the cut-out magnet trips the lever I and closesa path of low so resistance around the lamp. This circuit is opened andthe lever set by pushing up the bar M.

The generator is provided with a regulator, which is diagrammaticallyshown by the magnet N in the main circuit, which varies the resistanceof the derived field-circuit of the generator by shifting thecontact-lever P of a rheostat included in the field-circuit. Thisregulator operates to preserve a constant curo rent, which is dividedamong all the branch circuits in inverse proportion to their respectiveresistances. \Vhen a lamp is extinguished, therefore, the resistance islowered, and that branch will receive too great a pro- 5 portion ofcurrent. This will be indicated by a suitable current-indicator,O,one ofwhich is included in each branch. The proper equilibrium may then bereestablished by removing one or more of the plugs from a rheostat, R,in the branch circuit.

It is desirable to interrupt a branch circuit when the current thereinis less than the normal, and particularly so when the current becomestoo strong. I have therefore placed in each branch circuit an automaticcircuitbreaker, and in order that the circuit may not be broken toosuddenly I have so constructed these devices that they effect agradualinterruption, so to speak, of the circuit.

This device consists of a magnet or helix, S, in the branch circuit,provided with a core, S, connected with which is a contact-lever, s,between two contact-stops, t t. An independent or a derived circuit,containing a magnet, T, is completed by the contact of lever 8 witheither of the'stops t or t. \Vhen the magnet T is energized by theclosing of this circuit, it sets in motion a device which inserts anincreasing resistance in the branch circuit containing the lamps andmagnet S, and then interrupts it entirely. By this gradual interruptionof the circuit timeis afforded the regulator to reduce the currentstrength, so that none of the other branches are affected. Many forms ofdevice may be utilized for this purpose. I have shown a sliding weight,V, that completes the circuit between a metal bar, V, and a row ofcontact-plates, WV, connected by resistancecoils in the usual manner,the sectional bar or series of plates forming an ordinary rheostat. Theweight is held up by the armature of the magnetT when the latter is notenergized. \Vhen the magnet becomes active, the weight is released,and,fall ing by gravity, it inserts an increasing resistance until itreaches the bottom or end of the series of plates\V, when it slides downonto one or twoinsulatingplatesX and interrupts the circuit.

It is evident in this case, if the current in any branch, as 0, becomestoo strong, that the lever s will be brought into contact with the upperstop, 2!, by the movement of the core 1. In an electrical distributingsystem in V which the translating devices are included in series incross or multiple circuits from the mains, the combination, with eachcross-circuit, of means for adjusting its resistance and a device forautomatically and gradually interrupting said circuit upon a givenincrease or decrease of the current passing therein, as set forth.

2. In an electric-lighting system in which the lamps are included inseries in cross or multiple circuits from the mains, the combination,with each lamp, of an automatic cutout adapted to close a circuit oflowresistance around a lamp when the lamp is extinguished, an adjustable orvariable resistance included in each cross or branch circuit, and adevice operating to automatically and gradually in terrupt the branchcircuit upon a given increase or decrease of the current passingtherein, as set forth.

3. In an electric lighting system having branch or multiple circuits,the combination, in each branch,of'two or more lamps in series andcut-outs therefor, a current-indicator, a rheostat 0r adjustableresistance, and an automatic cireuit-breaker constructed and arranged insubstantially the manner set forth to-gradually interrupt the branchcircuit upon a given increase or decrease in the current strength, asset forth.

EDWARD \VESTON.

Witnesses:

HENRY A. BEOKMEYER, RICHARD WM. BLOEMEKE.

